Brake Disk Cover Asymmetry and Dirt Labyrinth

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing brake disk covers suffer from inadequate vibration behavior and resonance effects, leading to dirt penetration and suboptimal cooling, with conventional designs failing to effectively address these issues.

Innovation Solution

A brake disk cover with a non-symmetrical surface contour, curved non-planar side walls, and a two-part or multi-part structure featuring a dirt labyrinth arrangement, along with angled fastening screws, optimizes vibration damping and prevents dirt ingress while enhancing cooling and weight distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional symmetrical brake disk cover design is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but disadvantageous resonance effects occur and vibration behavior is inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration behaviorVSAvoidsurface contour design
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake disk cover features a non-symmetrical surface contour that deliberately breaks mathematical symmetry. This asymmetric design disrupts resonance patterns and improves vibration behavior by preventing regular oscillation modes that occur with symmetrical geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The brake disk cover incorporates curved, non-planar side wall areas instead of flat surfaces. These curved geometries contribute to damping resonance effects and improve the overall vibration characteristics while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If a conventional single-part brake disk cover is used, then the structure is simple, but dirt can penetrate into the brake disc area and cooling is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirt preventionVSAvoidstructural composition
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake disk cover is divided into multiple parts (at least two segments) that can be assembled together. This segmentation enables the creation of a dirt labyrinth arrangement through overlapping wall sections, effectively preventing dirt ingress while maintaining manageable manufacturing and assembly processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The multi-part structure features overlapping wall sections that create nested configurations. This nesting forms a dirt labyrinth that prevents contaminants from reaching the brake disc while allowing for optimized cooling pathways through the segmented structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Strength

If conventional fastening means are used, then the attachment process is simple, but the strength and stiffness of the arrangement is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening strengthVSAvoidfastening arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening means are positioned and oriented in advance during the design phase to optimize their effectiveness. By pre-planning the angular orientation and distribution of fasteners, the structure achieves maximum strength and stiffness without requiring complex additional components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The fastening arrangement uses locally optimized positioning and angular orientation of fasteners at critical locations. This targeted approach enhances structural strength and stiffness where needed most, rather than uniformly distributing fastening complexity throughout the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2426369B1Brake disk cover for a brake disk of a disk brake
Publication Date: 2013.08.21 KNORR BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHIZEUGE GMBH
  • EP2426369B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2426369B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2426369B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A brake disc cover for a brake disc of a disc brake, which is arranged on a component of a vehicle that is rotationally fixed during travel and which preferably encloses the circumferential edge of the brake disc with a radius, at least partially, in a trough-like manner, wherein two side wall regions (6, 7) are located on directly opposite axial side sections of the brake disc to be covered, which cover at least a partial area of ​​the axial sides of the brake disc, and a base wall region (8) connecting these side wall regions, which covers the circumferential edge of the brake disc, wherein the side wall regions (7, 8) are oriented at an angle to each other such that the distance between these two side wall regions (7, 8) decreases radially from the inner circumferential edge of the side wall region to the outer circumferential edge of the brake disc cover. The brake disc cover has a surface contour that does not follow mathematical symmetry.